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ARMENIAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE-INTERNATIONAL CONDEMNS ATTACKS ON KESAB
14:16, 24 March, 2014
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS: In a written statement, the Armenian
National Committee--International, condemned the attacks and
Turkey's active role in aiding and abetting extremist groups in
their targeted attacks against the Christian and minority populations
in Syria. The Armenian populated villages of Kesab, Syria were the
target of three days of brutal cross-border attacks from Turkey by
al-Qaeda affiliated armed bands, which have cost 80 lives and forced
the civilian population of the area to flee to neighboring hills,
with many seeking safe-haven in the nearby cities of Latakia and
Basit. Armenpress reports, citing Asbarez that the statement of the
Armenian National Committee--International says in particular:
"For months, we have warned the international community of the imminent
threat posed by extremist foreign fighters against the Christian
minority population in Syria. These vicious and unprompted attacks
against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kesab are the
latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by neighboring
Turkey. We call upon all states with any influence in the Syrian
conflict to use all available means to stop these attacks against the
peaceful civilian population of Kesab, to allow them to return to
their homes in safety and security. In the last one hundred years,
this is the third time that the Armenians are being forced to leave
Kesab and in all three cases, Turkey is the aggressor or on the side
of the aggressors".
"The international community should restrain Turkey to stop this
and similar anti-Armenian operations and in general it antagonistic
policy against Armenia and the Armenian people," concludes the ANC
International's statement.
Earlier it was reported that the Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia Aram I contacted the presidential palace of Syria appealing
to send army to Kesab to provide for the security of the local
population. In his turn the Syria's ambassador to Lebanon visited
Catholicos Aram I in Antelias on March 22, conveying to him Syrian
president Bashar al-Assad's assurances that peace will be restored
in Kesab.
At the meeting which lasted more than an hour, Ali Abdel Karim Ali
said they knew Turkey had not only encouraged the rebels' entry into
the town but also given weapons to them to facilitate their advance.
The diplomat said the Syrian army managed to repel the attackers
despite the losses suffered. He told the Catholicos that both the
Syrian president and state have a deep respect for the Armenian
people whom they feel committed to protect as faithful citizens of
the country. He said Kesab is a strategically important town for the
Syrian Army, adding that the local Armenians have been temporarily
moved to Latakia for security reasons. The Catholicos welcomed the
Syrian President's initiative and noted for his part that Kesab
has a symbolic significance for the Armenian people. He later sent
a delegation of clergyman to Latakia. The Catholicos reminded that
the same genocide-committed Turkey uses the chance to strike on the
Armenian people.
According to the Armenian Weekly, the armed incursion began on Friday,
March 21, 2014 with rebels associated with Al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front,
Sham al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham crossing the Turkish border and
attacking the Armenian civilian population of Kesab. The attackers
immediately seized two guard posts overlooking Kesab, including a
strategic hill known as Observatory 45 and later took over the border
crossing point with Turkey. Snipers targeted the civilian population
and launched mortar attacks on the town and the surrounding villages.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers crossed the Turkish
border with Syria openly passing through Turkish military barracks.
According to Turkish media reports, the attackers carried their
injured back to Turkey for treatment in the town of Yayladagi.
Some 670 Armenian families, the majority of the population of Kesab,
were evacuated by the local Armenian community leadership to safer
areas in neighboring Basit and Latakia. Ten to fifteen families with
relations too elderly to move were either unable to leave or chose to
stay in their homes. On Saturday, March 22, Syrian troops launched a
counteroffensive in an attempt to regain the border crossing point,
eye-witnesses and state media reported. However, on Sunday, March
23, the extremist groups once again entered the town of Kesab, took
the remaining Armenian families hostage, desecrated the town's three
Armenian churches, pillaging local residences and occupying the town
and surrounding villages. Located in the northwestern corner of Syria,
near the border with Turkey, Kesab had, until very recently evaded
major battles in the Syrian conflict. The local Armenian population
had increased in recently years with the city serving as safe-haven for
those fleeing from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and Aleppo.
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/755090/armenian-national-committee-international-condemns-attacks-on-kesab.html
14:16, 24 March, 2014
YEREVAN, MARCH 24, ARMENPRESS: In a written statement, the Armenian
National Committee--International, condemned the attacks and
Turkey's active role in aiding and abetting extremist groups in
their targeted attacks against the Christian and minority populations
in Syria. The Armenian populated villages of Kesab, Syria were the
target of three days of brutal cross-border attacks from Turkey by
al-Qaeda affiliated armed bands, which have cost 80 lives and forced
the civilian population of the area to flee to neighboring hills,
with many seeking safe-haven in the nearby cities of Latakia and
Basit. Armenpress reports, citing Asbarez that the statement of the
Armenian National Committee--International says in particular:
"For months, we have warned the international community of the imminent
threat posed by extremist foreign fighters against the Christian
minority population in Syria. These vicious and unprompted attacks
against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kesab are the
latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by neighboring
Turkey. We call upon all states with any influence in the Syrian
conflict to use all available means to stop these attacks against the
peaceful civilian population of Kesab, to allow them to return to
their homes in safety and security. In the last one hundred years,
this is the third time that the Armenians are being forced to leave
Kesab and in all three cases, Turkey is the aggressor or on the side
of the aggressors".
"The international community should restrain Turkey to stop this
and similar anti-Armenian operations and in general it antagonistic
policy against Armenia and the Armenian people," concludes the ANC
International's statement.
Earlier it was reported that the Catholicos of the Great House of
Cilicia Aram I contacted the presidential palace of Syria appealing
to send army to Kesab to provide for the security of the local
population. In his turn the Syria's ambassador to Lebanon visited
Catholicos Aram I in Antelias on March 22, conveying to him Syrian
president Bashar al-Assad's assurances that peace will be restored
in Kesab.
At the meeting which lasted more than an hour, Ali Abdel Karim Ali
said they knew Turkey had not only encouraged the rebels' entry into
the town but also given weapons to them to facilitate their advance.
The diplomat said the Syrian army managed to repel the attackers
despite the losses suffered. He told the Catholicos that both the
Syrian president and state have a deep respect for the Armenian
people whom they feel committed to protect as faithful citizens of
the country. He said Kesab is a strategically important town for the
Syrian Army, adding that the local Armenians have been temporarily
moved to Latakia for security reasons. The Catholicos welcomed the
Syrian President's initiative and noted for his part that Kesab
has a symbolic significance for the Armenian people. He later sent
a delegation of clergyman to Latakia. The Catholicos reminded that
the same genocide-committed Turkey uses the chance to strike on the
Armenian people.
According to the Armenian Weekly, the armed incursion began on Friday,
March 21, 2014 with rebels associated with Al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front,
Sham al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham crossing the Turkish border and
attacking the Armenian civilian population of Kesab. The attackers
immediately seized two guard posts overlooking Kesab, including a
strategic hill known as Observatory 45 and later took over the border
crossing point with Turkey. Snipers targeted the civilian population
and launched mortar attacks on the town and the surrounding villages.
According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers crossed the Turkish
border with Syria openly passing through Turkish military barracks.
According to Turkish media reports, the attackers carried their
injured back to Turkey for treatment in the town of Yayladagi.
Some 670 Armenian families, the majority of the population of Kesab,
were evacuated by the local Armenian community leadership to safer
areas in neighboring Basit and Latakia. Ten to fifteen families with
relations too elderly to move were either unable to leave or chose to
stay in their homes. On Saturday, March 22, Syrian troops launched a
counteroffensive in an attempt to regain the border crossing point,
eye-witnesses and state media reported. However, on Sunday, March
23, the extremist groups once again entered the town of Kesab, took
the remaining Armenian families hostage, desecrated the town's three
Armenian churches, pillaging local residences and occupying the town
and surrounding villages. Located in the northwestern corner of Syria,
near the border with Turkey, Kesab had, until very recently evaded
major battles in the Syrian conflict. The local Armenian population
had increased in recently years with the city serving as safe-haven for
those fleeing from the war-torn cities of Yacubiye, Rakka and Aleppo.
http://armenpress.am/eng/news/755090/armenian-national-committee-international-condemns-attacks-on-kesab.html